The present disclosure relates generally to systems for extracting airborne components from air streams, such as in welding, cutting, metal working, wood working, and other applications.
A wide range of industrial, commercial, hobby and other applications result in airborne components that can be removed with proper extraction and filtering. Metal working operations, for example, range from cutting, welding, soldering, assembly, and other processes that may generate smoke and fumes. In smaller shops it may be convenient simply to open ambient air passages or to use suction or discharge air from fans to maintain air spaces relatively clear. In other applications, cart-type fume extractions are used. In industrial settings, more complex fixed systems may be employed for extracting fumes from specific works cells, metal working locations, and so forth. In other settings, such as machine shops, woodworking shops, worksites where cutting, sanding and other operations are performed, dust, fumes, particulate and other types of airborne components may be generated that it may be desirable to collect and extract from work areas and controlled spaces.
A number of systems have been developed for fume extraction, and a certain number of these are currently in use. In general, these use suction air to draw fumes and smoke from the immediate vicinity of the metal working operation, and to filter the fumes and smoke before returning the air to the room or blowing the air to an outside space. Further improvements are needed, however, in fume extraction systems. For example, it would be useful to provide portable extractors that function on three-phase power and may be plugged into any available receptacle. In such equipment, where the three-phase wiring causes the unit to operate inappropriately (e.g., causes a blower motor to rotate in a direction opposite to the intended direction), it would be useful to allow for a simple means of remedying the issue (e.g., reversing the direction of the motor) without resorting to special technicians, time-consuming servicing or wiring changes.